Shares rallied in the HCM Stock Exchange on April 1 and the VN-Index added 3 percent to 505.81 points.

Gamers outnumbered losers by 170-51.

The market value reached almost 1.2 trillion VND (57.1 million USD) as over 55.4 million shares changed hands.

Blue chips led the rise with the VN30, which tracks the performance of 30 leading shares in capitalisation and liquidity advancing 2.66 percent to 566.98 points.

Only logistic company Gemadept (GMD) and food processor bourbon Tay Ninh (SBT) retreated.

Meanwhile, insurer Bao Viet (BVH), Da Nang Rubber (DRC) and steelmaker Hoa Phat (HPG) hit the daily increase limit of 7 percent.

The recovery in northern bourse also helped stocks on the Hanoi Stock Exchange.

Overall, the HNX-Index rose nearly 2.1 percent to 61.51 points.

However, trading was sluggish as shares tumbled during most of the session.

Trading value and volume fetched 322.2 billion VND (15.3 million USD) and 42.3 million units, respectively.

The HNX30, representing the top shares, also put on 3.3 percent to 117.87 points.

Foreign investors were still buyers in HCM by a margin of 13.84 billion VND (659.000 USD), while they buy 774.8 million VND (36,890 USD).-VNA